Bomb attack on BJD leader

VIKASH SHARMA

Cuttack, June 16: Two incidents of bombings in two locations in the city within a span of five hours have raised concerns over public safety.

Two children were injured in a bomb attack at Jagatpur, while no one was hurt when two criminals lobbed a crude bomb at the house of Biju Chatra Janta Dal’s district president Smrutiranjan Das at Kanika Chak around 9:30pm yesterday.

“I demand an impartial probe into the incident as I have no enmity with anyone. I cannot say whether there is any political angle to the attack,” said Das.

In another incident, at least two children suffered minor injuries when two motorcycle-borne criminals had lobbed crude bombs on the house of Sanjay Pradhan, 38, at Trinath Sahi around 2:30pm last night. Both the kids have suffered injuries on stomach, nose and hand.

Pradhan works as a labourer and stays with his family at a single-storey asbestos house, which has been partly damaged in the bombing.

“I have no enmity with anyone. But, we suspect that our house was mistakenly targeted as one of our neighbours had picked up a quarrel with a few youths, who warned him of dire consequences around 9pm last night,” Pradhan said.